Achieving accreditation requires education providers to submit a program of study to ANMAC. Accreditation demonstrates that the program meets national standards and qualifies for inclusion on the NMBA’s ‘Approved programs of study’ list. Graduates from programs on this list are eligible to apply for registration with the NMBA.
The accreditation process, including the intention to submit, pre-submission, and assessment phases, takes up to 24 months.
The accreditation process should be initiated:
- 24 months before the expiry date of the current NMBA-approved program, or
- 24 months before the planned enrolment of students in a new program.
Key resources to help the accreditation process run smoothly:
The intention to submit form assists ANMAC in preparing documents for the accreditation application. This form must be completed at least 12 months before submitting the assessment documents. Upon receiving your Intention to Submit form, ANMAC will provide an application pack containing templates and detailed instructions.
Access the Intention to Submit form here.
Note: It is mandatory to use the application pack when applying for program accreditation.
ANMAC will email education providers 4 weeks prior to submission of the pre-submission declaration to confirm readiness to start the accreditation process.
Following receipt of the pre-submission declaration, ANMAC will send a link to upload documentation, initiate assembly of an assessment team and issue an invoice for the accreditation fee. See our Fee Schedule for current fees.
From this point on, include accreditation@anmac.org.au in all communications with ANMAC.
Note: ANMAC will not start assessing the application until all documents are provided and the full accreditation fee is paid.
4 weeks after receipt of the pre-submission declaration, the assessment documentation must be uploaded.
Once ANMAC has received the completed assessment documentation and accreditation fee, ANMAC will commence assessment.
Note: Assessment can take between 9-12 months. If the assessment documentation does not meet the requirements, ANMAC may request a resubmission.
ANMAC will maintain contact with education providers during the assessment process. Please ensure prompt responses to emails or calls to enable timely processing of the application.
The assessment team will include an Associate Director who serves as the primary contact and:
- A team chair
- An academic
- A clinician
ANMAC requires:
- Disclosure of any conflict of interest involving members of the assessment team
- Confirmation of a site visit date as part of the assessment
A Collated Review Report summarising the findings from independent reviews conducted by the assessment team, along with a site visit agenda, will be provided in advance of the upcoming site visit to the education site.
The Collated Review Report will outline any additional evidence required before or during the visit itself.
After the site visit, ANMAC will issue a Site Visit Report. If further evidence is required, it will be requested at that point.
At completion of the assessment, ANMAC will issue an Outcome of Accreditation Assessment Report.
Acknowledgement of the report and its content is required before adding the program to the Accreditation Committee Meeting Agenda.
The committee will review the application and provide recommendations to ANMAC's CEO.
ANMAC will report all recommendations to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for final review and approval.
The NMBA subsequently conducts an independent review.
Note: This review is separate from the ANMAC timeframe. ANMAC will communicate the outcomes of the NMBA meeting in an Outcome of Accreditation Assessment letter.
Programs approved by the NMBA are added to the NMBA Approved Program of Study list.
It takes approximately 12 months to complete an accreditation assessment, depending on the quality and complexity of the application and supporting evidence. This timeframe considers factors such as:
- Programs that involve dual and combined degrees
- Programs delivered over multiple sites or campuses
- Multiple programs being assessed at the same time.
In such cases, ANMAC will discuss and agree on relevant timeframes. For further information, please contact the Accreditation Services Team via accreditation@anmac.org.au